Formations and player roles are a very fuzzy concept. We simplify things into 4-2-3-1s and 4-3-3s and right backs and centre forwards but within those simplifications there are many nuances to how different teams and different players function.
In this post, I try to quantify these and find teams who are set up similarly in various matches.
Refer to my post on similar players based on their spatial distributions.
The teams are clustered based on the max distance between players.
Each node at the end of this graph is a particular team playing in a particular match.
Cluster descriptions:
Cluster 1 is 3-4-2-1
Cluster 2 is 3-4-2-1 with a mix of various other 3 at the back formations
Cluster 3 is 4-3-3
Cluster 4 to 7 are a mix of various 4 at the back formations with a strong 4-2-3-1 element in all of them.
Cluster 8 seems to not have an underlying link with the formation.
A match from each of the clusters is shown below. I’ve also added some comparisons between clusters which feel slightly similar.